“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee

When I was younger and not as confident as I am today, I was no good at being the real me. I was too busy trying to live up to other people’s expectations of me. I was too afraid of the criticism and negativity that comes with it.

I was too afraid of being judged by society for doing what I believed in, instead of what they believed in. Or what others expected me to do. I’m sure a lot of you can relate to this.

The real reason people criticize you for being yourself is because they’re afraid of doing the same thing. But regardless of the negative aspects of doing what’s right for you, here are the top 10 benefits of being yourself!

1. You’ll be happier.

“If you want to be happy, be.” – Leo Tolstoy

The most happy years in my life, including today, have been a result of doing the things I want to do. Being the person I’m meant to be. Doing the things I believe in. And most importantly, being honest with myself.

If you’re constantly doing things to make others happy, but not yourself, you’re bound to stress yourself out. You’ve got to put your happiness first before anything else.

2. You’ll attract the right friends.

If you go through your whole life feeling like a faker, being a faker, and living a lie, your friends will reflect that. Like they say, you are what you’re around and there’s a lot of truth to that.

If you want to have honest friends who aren’t afraid to keep it real, maybe you need to work on yourself first. Only then will you attract the right friends.

If you’re already honest as it is, but your friends are the opposite, maybe you need to meet some new people.

3. You won’t have anything to prove.

If you have to prove your honesty to somebody, chances are you’ve already lost the battle. When you have to prove something It usually means you’re not capable of doing it.

When you know who you are and what you stand for, trying to Impress others Is irrelevant. Leave the “proving” to those who feel It’s necessary.

4. Nobody can hold anything against you.

If you know you’re speaking your truth and nothing but your truth, nobody can hold that against you. It’s not possible. People will only hold something against you If you give them reason to, or If there’s blatant proof.

Be yourself, keep it real, speak your truth, then nobody will be able to hold anything against you. No matter what!

5. Your confidence will show.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller

When you love who you are and have no problem with who you are, confidence Is guaranteed to show up. Lack of confidence shows up when you’re happy with yourself, your character, and because you feel inadequate.

But someone who loves who they are, and goes about this daily has an unstoppable amount of self confidence. And that’s attractive which ever way you slice the cake!

6. You can inspire others.

There are millions of people who lack self confidence worldwide. There’s an endless amount of people who struggle with self confidence, being themselves and putting themselves out in the open.

I know from experience because I was one of those people. Just by being yourself and expressing your opinions, you can inspire hundreds of people who need it.

You can change somebody’s life just by showing them It’s ok to be honest and It’s ok to follow your heart. You can spring them into action and possibly change their lives forever. So be an inspiration!

7. You’ll gain a higher level of respect.

Everybody looks up to somebody, whether they’re a celebrity, musician, business owner or professional athlete. We look up to these people because we admire their spirit, their courage, their confidence, and their level of honesty.

Not to mention the fact they’re doing what they love to do, what they believe in, and they let NOTHING or NOBODY stop them. That’s powerful.

You don’t have to be someone else to be respected, doing that would be the opposite. So be yourself, be confident, and watch how others warm to you and respect you for who you are.

8. You’ll make better decisions.

When you put yourself first you’ll always make better decisions when It’s decision time. If you’re constantly trying to copy someone, your decisions are going to be based on being like that person. Your decisions are going to be based off being something you’re not.

So It’s clear to see why this would be a bad idea as far as decision making goes. However, when you’re honest with yourself and you respect yourself, your decisions will always make a lot more sense. Because they’ll be based upon how you feel deep down.

9. You won’t feel like a fraud.

Nobody likes feeling like a fraud. Nobody likes feeling like a faker. And nobody enjoys feeling like a copy cat. Nobody should have to feel that way either!

When you’re a fraud, you have to deal with the way people are going to treat you. And lets be honest, nobody’s going to take you seriously If you’re trying to copy Nicki Minaj or whoever It might be.

So cut it out and start being honest with yourself. Unless you enjoy lying to yourself ;).

10. People are more likely to trust you.

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” – George MacDonald

Who are you more likely to trust? Somebody who keeps it real with you, tells you like it is, and is straightforward, or someone who can’t say a few words without telling a lie?

Honesty goes a long way. There aren’t too many honest people In today’s society. And when you’re straightforward, less people are likely to try and take advantage of you.

But back to the point, If you expect to be trusted, start being more honest. It’s as plain and simple as that!

Got something to say? Leave a comment below and I’ll respond to it.

Theo Ellis is a straight talking blogger who delivers no nonsense advice to help you be confident, keep it real and build self discipline to better yourself. You can find out more about Theo and his services via his website – http://justbereal.co.uk